Jessica on the benefits of Elderberry

To celebrate the launch of our brand new Immune Support supplement, we asked nutrition guru Jessica to share some of the amazing health benefits of Elderberry that are backed by the most science! Keep reading if you want to learn more about the super powers of these brilliant berries.

Elderberry is the immunity secret that you may not have heard of but has abundance of research behind it! Elderberries are a tart berry that come from the European elder tree; they have been used for centuries in traditional medicine. They are best consumed for both safety and potency in a cooked or extracted form - just like in Link Nutrition's new Immune Support supplement.

These small, black-purple berries are full of goodness! They're high in vitamin C and their colour comes from a compound called anthocyanins, both these elements have nutritional benefits to our immunity. Vitamin C is well known for its role in supporting our immune system and anthocyanins are a group of antioxidants that help protect your cells against damage and ageing. A number of studies have shown elderberry’s specific potential in terms of supporting health and wellbeing.

These brilliant berries a best known for supporting immunity, particularly with regards to the dreaded flu. A 2019 research paper that collated and analysed a number of studies showed that those that took elderberry extract at the onset of influenza, reduced the length and severity of the disease. A second study indicated that this maybe due to elderberry’s effect on the body’s immune system and activation of its defence messengers called inflammatory cytokines.

Elderberry extracts have also had studies that pointed towards beneficial effects on insulin metabolism therefore potentially reducing risk of type II diabetes and possible benefits for the cardiovascular system too.

With any supplement the quality, concentration and form of the ingredients are super important. Often elderberry comes in a syrup, which has a lot of added sugar. Link Nutrition uses high strength and high quality elderberry extract, which only contains the goodness of the natural berry for their new Immune Support supplement.